It rained hard Thursday night, and the skies were still threatening the next morning during my photo hike. The 2012 Hurricane Season was officially open, even though there have already been two named storms. While unusual, it’s not unprecedented for storms to form before the traditional opening day, and even in recent years, extend past the November 31 closing.
I love watching and photographing storms. I was on the beach in ’08 when the outer bands of Hurricane Gustav rolled in and again last year when Tropical Storm Lee made its way ashore. I still have a healthy respect for these storms and their potential for catastrophic lost of property and lives. I do know when to take shelter, or to simply run.
Preparations continue in case a storm forms in the Gulf, and heads toward our little stretch of beach. We’ve been lucky the last several years. Gustav was the last storm that came close, and did any damage. I think we’re due. With the mild winter, and the early onset of summer temps, I’m worried this might be a bad year for people along the Gulf Coast.
Until then, I’ll keep going on hikes, and keep chasing storms… until I can’t.
(Photos shot with a Nikon D60, using an 18-55mm, 55-200mm, 20mm f/2.8 wide-angle, 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, Nikon CoolPix S205 and/or iPhone4)
For more photos, please visit my Flickr photostream or my 365 Project Page.
To see other city scenes from around the world, check out Unknown Mami’s Sundays in My City. Don’t forget to show the love to Mami and the other City contributors.
Thin spiral notebook 
Love the leggy birds! Be safe, Tara! Love, Vidya
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The power of nature in roiled waves and bent trees is amazing to watch. Nice pics, especially the birds taking wing. Do you live so close to the shore that you would need to worry about the storm surge?
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Not the surges, but definitely the flooding it causes.
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Looks gorgeous! I’m from Indiana and plan on moving to Florida after graduation in December. I’m not afraid of storms (tornados are practically a weekly occurrence in Indiana), and, like you, I rather enjoy them (absolutely can’t stand anything below 70 degrees though…). A little nervous about the evacuating to a different location aspect though. Here, we just go downstairs or to a safe place in our homes, but the idea of having to leave wherever I am and hope to have somewhere to go, that’s unnerving. Was it difficult to find a place? Do you have like an understanding with friends in a safe place that you can crash there when it’s dangerous and they can come and visit the coast when they want to? I think that would be fantastic 😉
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When we moved to Florida it was between 2 major hurricanes. Even evacuated for the second one. We live in a mandatory evacuation zone, so if any storm a Category 3 or stronger is expected to make landfall nearby, we are required to leave. We definitely have friends who offer to put us up if we do evacuate, and if there is a power outage, some neighborhoods hold block parties to empty out freezers so the food doesn’t spoil.
Good luck with your move. I don’t think you’ll have trouble finding a place to live.
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It’s been seven years since a hurricane hit here. I think we’re due too. But then I thought that last year and the storm followed us up north… So maybe I should stop thinking.
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That’s what happened to us with Hurricane Ivan. We evacuated, and stayed with friends near Atlanta. They got more rain and flooding than we did back in Florida.
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These shots are stunning, the one of the birds taking off is just exquisite.
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As always Tara, you have the most amazing shots of nature. I especially like the images of the herons.
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I can’t help but think that 2 named storms before the ‘official’ start of the season is a bad omen….
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I keep thinking that too. It can’t be a good sign.
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Florida. Piers. Storms. Yearn. I just love the sandy beach with the driftwood and the rolling clouds.
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Thanks, I took that photo early in the morning. The quality of light gave it an interesting ambiance, almost a green aura.
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Are those Great Blue Herons right up on the pier mixing and mingling with all the fisherfolk??? I didn’t realize they, the herons, were that brave! I know pelicans and egrets will mix and mingle if there is any hope of begging a tasty tid bit.
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They are herons. There are light poles lining the pier, perched on almost every one was a heron. These were fighting over a bait fish. They don’t fear people, and I try to give them a wide berth… they’re mean.
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Beautiful photos! Hope you are keeping safe while chasing storms.
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